Obit. Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Obit. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 31, 2017

In 2011, director Andrew Rossi brought viewers into the offices of the New York Times for “Page One,” a documentary exploring the daily experience of journalism in its highest form, making note of writers and challenges that go into the creation of news. It was a fascinating look at the mechanics and personalities that make up the newspaper, and “Obit” returns to the same location, only this time director Vanessa Gould takes a deeper dive into a specific type of coverage for the New York Times, examining the construction and care of the obituary department. Like “Page One,” “Obit” is a fascinating inspection of 9-5 work, highlighting the research, writing, and personal touches of the obituary section, with its staff trying to make their assignments something special, continuing a prized tradition of the paper.

In a corner of the New York Times, a select group of journalists spend their days resurrecting the dead for a brief moment in time. The obituary section is a popular stop for newspaper readers, requiring a unique set of interview and research skills to make it essential, as those tasked with creating the obits are challenged to write about entire lifetimes in a few paragraphs, summing creative thinking and skills of summary to generate a proper farewell for the world to see. Gould brings her cameras into the offices to shadow the writers during their daily adventures into obit assembly, grasping the effort it takes to put a memory piece together, demanding a certain level of journalistic integrity and style.

William McDonald is the senior editor of the obituary department, overseeing a team of writers who spend their hours collecting memories and evidence to help support their writing. A small handful of journalists are actually employed by the New York Times, including Paul Vitello, Bruce Weber, and Margalit Fox, and they’re tasked with creating customary New York Times gold for the world audience, understanding than readers are looking for sophistication and storytelling with obits, not celebrating death, but life, highlighting various achievements and a general feeling of experience when applicable. Gould is permitted a great deal of freedom to explore her surroundings, visiting various desks to meet the writers as they craft pieces for the paper. While it seems like such a fringe achievement of the New York Times, the obituary is one of its most popular sections, especially when the deceased is someone renowned, providing a sweat-inducing challenge when famous types pass away at the last minute (Michael Jackson being a primary example, with the paper already prepared for a Farrah Fawcett remembrance that day), requiring some quick writing to keep up with competition from internet outlets.

“Obit” is an educational sit, submitting an understanding of procedure, with Weber’s particular way of interviewing those close to the deceased a visual Gould returns to at various points in the documentary. The hope to discover more about the loved one, aiding creative endeavors to shape a story instead of a resume, but this mission requires careful navigation of facts, finding some subjects either vague about life accomplishments or weirdly specific, with “Obit” recalling the case of Jack Kinsler, who had a hand in major NASA achievements during the space race, but nobody’s heard of him. Other achievements in obituary writing are highlighted, including adventurer John Fairfax, whose life and times received a major response from readers. Aiding journalistic efforts are research highlights from The Morgue, a basement filing room that’s been collecting photos, clippings, and information for decades, arranged in a type of controlled chaos. It’s highly amusing to watch its caretaker explain the room’s unique grasp of order and a treat to peek into its treasures of history.

Obit. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation gives "Obit" the sharpness it deserves. It's a film about visual details, surveying headlines, workspaces, and archives, and the finer points of decoration and organization are preserved here. Clarity is terrific with the HD-shot feature, picking up on aged newspapers and the interviewees, who wear fibrous outfits and offer the camera varied facial particulars, making it easy to study reactions. For those on a different informational adventure, the obits in question are easily pauseable, offering a chance to actually read the work that often flashes across the screen. Colors are secure and alive, with vibrant primaries to balance out black and white memories, and skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory, preserving dimly lit corners of the building.

Obit. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't offering a stunningly immersive listening event with the "Obit" track, but power remains. It's a frontal mix, focusing on interview segments, and voices come through clearly, with a nice read on accents and theatrical emphasis, especially with Margalit Fox, who puts on quite a show for the camera. Scoring cues are pronounced, with pleasing weight, offering some low-end presence, and they never intrude on the human element of the documentary. Surrounds aren't active, but atmospherics are engaging, getting a feel for the office and its many inhabitants, while some of the file footage is tweaked with sound effects to set the mood.

Obit. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:35, HD) is included.

Obit. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Obit" discusses the trials of spacing and prioritization, with McDonald often fighting for prominent placement during staff meetings (Gould has access to these as well). There's talk of competition, peculiar obit assignments, and the horror of mistakes, with errors cutting like a knife for the writers who spend a substantial amount of time trying to get every detail right. Admittedly, 90 minutes on the ins and outs of the obituary department may seem a bit much, and there are moments when Gould runs out of ideas, often returning to Weber's interview skills to tie the picture together. Perhaps it's not the ideal first stop on the New York Times tour, but "Obit" is illuminating, highlighting bit players in history and those tasked with taking in the enormity of life every single day, laboring to find an eloquent and informative way to summarize personal achievement and presence.